Construction to downtown creek continues this summer

The final phase of a project to rehabilitate and reinforce the banks of Pleasant Creek near downtown Greenwood will begin this summer.

This summer, crews will continue work to reinforce Pleasant Creek’s banks with stone and concrete at Market Plaza, which will cost about $2.1 million, Greenwood Stormwater Superintendent Chris Jones said.

Last year, the city spent $1.2 million to build a new bridge over Pleasant Creek at Market Plaza and reinforce the creek’s banks behind the city building. The city used money from its stormwater utility fund to complete what officials call a vital project because nearly 1,700 acres of land drain into Pleasant Creek between the new Greenwood city building at Market Plaza and the Greenwood Municipal Airport.

The projects are designed to prevent back-ups and flooding after heavy rain, similar to what caused the flooding in 2008 when Pleasant Creek and Pleasant Run Creek overflowed.

Now, crews will continue the same work to the west of the bridge at Market Plaza. Officials want to buy a property along the creek behind the former location of Dog N’ Suds, Jones said. The owner of the home has been contacted by the city, but negotiations have not yet started. The home is the only property the city is looking at buying, for now, Jones said.

Officials did not list how many other homes the city will be looking at buying.

“This particular house sits in a high-risk area. If it received any damage from a flood, it might not be able to be rebuilt anyway,” Jones said. “This next phase of work on Pleasant Creek gave us an opportunity to acquire the property.”